User blog:Kaido King of the Beasts/The Big Finish
Hiatus hiatus hiatus. Anyways, I've had this idea in the back of my mind for a while, and considering this week's anime episode it seems fitting to write it now. Today I'll be looking at the various finishers that Luffy and other characters have used to take down their foes. Below is the list of Luffy's finishing moves for all his main canon antagonists. Some of them, especially the earlier ones, really weren't that notable. However, I'll be commenting on ones that particularly stood out. *'Alvida:' Gomu Gomu no Pistol (Chapter 2) *'Buggy:' Gomu Gomu no Bazooka (Chapter 20) *'Kuro:' Gomu Gomu no Bell (Chapter 39) *'Krieg:' Gomu Gomu no Sledgehammer (Chapter 66): This was the first finisher that stood out to me even after I caught up. Mostly because of how it took Luffy's body into a shape like nothing else seen before. *'Arlong:' Gomu Gomu no Battle Axe (Chapter 93): Not the first time he used the move, but the occasion when it took place was a very memorable one. *'Mr. 3:' Gomu Gomu no Stamp (Chapter 126) *'Wapol:' Gomu Gomu no Bazooka (Chapter 151): Yep, a repeat. It wasn't the finisher that was the highlight of the battle, for sure. *'Crocodile:' Gomu Gomu no Storm (Chapter 209): I would have said that this was the first extreme contortioning move, but I had forgotten about Sledgehammer. Regardless, this move was over the top and well-earned as Luffy finally claimed victory after two defeats and freed a country turmoiled for 60 chapters. *'Bellamy:' (Chapter 232) This attack had no name. It didn't need one. After all the abuse Luffy and his allies had suffered at Bellamy's annoying hands, taking him out in one blow was one of the most satisfying finishers in the series. *'Enel:' Gomu Gomu no Gold Pistol (Chapter 298): A wild finish to one of the most unpredictable battles in the series, not only did it fulfill the Skypieans' long-held dream of the bell ringing, but also the fact that this move is a guy with a gold ball hand bludgeoning a thunder into a bell isn't something you see too often. This was also my favorite scene to watch in the anime as I was looking at some of these. *'Foxy:' Gomu Gomu no Flail (Chapter 317) *'Rob Lucci:' Gomu Gomu no Jet Gatling (Chapter 427) *'Gekko Moriah:' Gomu Gomu no Giant Jet Shell (Chapter 482): I was going to comment on Jet Gatling and it being the product of Luffy at his limits. But this is tuned up even more in the battle against Moriah, with the entire Straw Hat crew at their limits after so many chapter of battle. Luffy turning to both Gears Second and Third to deal the final blow, while being told by his crew that his body would fall apart if he kept overdoing this, was indicative of what was happening to his growth then. Luffy never beat a major villain again until after the timeskip, and this is pretty indicative as to why. *'Hody Jones:' Gomu Gomu no Red Hawk (Chapter 644): As the first post-timeskip finisher, this had a lot to prove in terms of defining Luffy's new abilities. And it sure did, taking Gear Second to another level while paying a touching tribute to Fire Fist. Even if it's so one of its kind that it's been overused in filler and such. *'Caesar Clown:' Gomu Gomu no Grizzly Magnum (Chapter 692) *'Donquixote Doflamingo' Gomu Gomu no King Kong Gun (Chapter 790): This was the one. Unlike other fights, where Luffy just shouted that he would beat up the bad guy over and over, he "called his shot" by claiming he would take down Doflamingo with one punch. And of course this one punch manages to be one of the most over the top attacks in the series so far. It broke Doflamingo's previously unbreakable strings (and his super-glasses!), possibly lending a comparison to Luffy freeing everyone from Doflamingo's captivity. Also it played out opposite to Crocodile's defeat, which was a cool touch. Overall, my favorite finishing blow would be Gomu Gomu no Gold Pistol, followed by King Kong Gun, with Storm not far behind. Other than Luffy, I also liked Zoro's finishing blow for Mr. 1, as it was awesome in both manga and anime and it was one of his most crucial moments development-wise. Also, Bartolomeo defeating Gladius with Bari Bari Pistol because of the feels. What were your favorite finishers in the series? What voice is Luffy hearing? Zunisha Road Poneglyph Mink Consciousness Uh...Beasts Pirates? Screw it, random option cuz I can't think of anything else Who'll defeat Jack on Zou? Luffy Zoro Law Mink Tribe Team combination No one Category:Blog posts